Each summer high school and middle school girls come to the CU-Boulder campus to explore the world of math and computer programming. Faculty from the Department of Applied Mathematics hosted the girls at two different weeklong workshops. This year, many of the participants were two-time attendees and came from across Colorado from Grand Junction to Colorado Springs – and even as far away as Spain.

From June 14-18, fifteen high school girls attended the Sophie Mathematica workshop and were introduced to computer programming.  Using the software tool Mathematica, the girls got to experience the very same program used by mathematicians and scientists worldwide to solve mathematical problems. The girls applied simple commands to produce answers for complex mathematical expressions and to create sophisticated 2D and 3D graphical plots.

Middle school girls were introduced to the fascinating world of mathematics at the Sophie Math workshop. Topics outside the typical school curriculum such as combinatorics, modular arithmetic, topology, and 3D geometry were covered. The classes emphasized interactive learning and working together in groups to explore math topics. Twenty-five girls attended the Sophie Math workshop from July 26-30.

 The workshops are named after Sophie Germain, a French mathematician known for her work in number theory and the theory of elasticity. Faculty member Silva Chang, who is director of the Colorado Math Circle and five-time coach of the Colorado MATHCOUNTS Team, led the workshops. Associate Department Chair Dr. Anne Dougherty served as advisor for the program. The workshops are sponsored by the Department of Applied Mathematics and the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee. For more information about the Sophie Math Workshops and the Colorado Math Circle, visit the program page at http://outreach.colorado.edu/programs/details/id/83.